Apple drops Auxiliary Services as reseller

After more than 20 years of service, Apple has discontinued its contract with Oswego State.

"They decided that we didn’t meet their sale threshold and they dropped us," said Susan Raby, director of the College Bookstore.

A representative from the Apple Authorized Campus Store [AACS] contacted Raby and Steven Baker, who runs the Oswego Laptop Purchase Program, by e-mail on March 24 informing them that Oswego State was no longer applicable for the program. The last day the school could participate in the program was on March 27.

Oswego State’s application was not approved because they do "not meet store merchandising requirements" and do "not meet minimum sales volume requirement," the e-mail stated.

"We were able to purchase a full line of Macintosh products," Raby said.The current sales threshold that Apple required of Oswego State was $500,000, Raby said. Last year the college sold $330,000 worth of Apple products.

With the removal of the contract, the College Bookstore will no longer be able to sell Apple products. Raby said that the bookstore will be appealing Apple’s decision and a written appeal has been filed on their behalf.

"They don’t have to sell to us, they don’t have an obligation to sell to us," Raby said. "We’re asking them to take a look and reconsider."

Michael Flaherty, director of Auxiliary Services, believes that students will miss the convenience of buying Apple products from the college store.

"I think students have purchased anything from Macintosh computers to iPods in the college store. I feel terrible about this," Flaherty said. "It doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to sell Macs anymore. It’s a huge loss for the students."

The bookstore is not allowed to keep a percentage of the money they make on Apple products, except for on laptops where they receive 2 percent of the purchase.

"Whenever we sell an iPod, what we sell it for is what we buy it for," Raby said.

Raby expects that business will decrease for the College Bookstore once Apple products are removed.

"One of the reasons we stayed with Apple is because they increased foot traffic," Raby said. "We’ve always been loyal to them."

Computers that are purchased for academic purposes by faculty and staff will not be affected by the discontinued contract, said Michael Pisa, associate director for Campus Technology Services.

"The college buys off a contract that Apple has with New York state," Pisa said. "That’s how we purchase."

Raby hopes that Oswego State will win their appeal and have Apple products back in stores by the start of the fall semester.

"I’m hoping that we’ll tell them [the students] we had a rough spot [with] Apple, but we’re back on board," Raby said.